Waiting for Forever
by jellybeanpink84
Summary: Just a short one-shot I wrote a long time ago that I found and thought I'd post. New moon alternate, Edward leaves Bella with a surprise. E x B Rated M.


*** As we all know, Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight not me, I just like to play around.**

"Edward?" I asked nervously biting my bottom lip when we reached my house that evening.

"Edward, talk to me!" I pleaded with him when he still refused to look my way. We were still sitting in my truck, neither one of us making any effort to go inside the house after the disaster of an evening.

"Edward, please. You know that it was just an accident. Nothing happened." I begged him and finally his eyes lifted to my face and I gasped in shock at the vacant expression I was seeing.

"Bella, I know it was an accident… exactly the kind of accident that I always expected to happen as long as you were hanging around a coven of vampires." He said, his tone colder than I was expecting.

"Edward no. Listen to me. I chose to get involved with this family. Family. Not coven. Family. And they are all as much my family as they are yours. I know that I'm a klutz and it isn't exactly the best environment for somebody like me who tends to bleed often." I paused and watched his expression change from pained to curiosity and back to pained. "But Edward, I also know that if something happens like tonight there is no way that anybody in your family would let anything happen to me. There was never a chance that Jasper would actually hurt me because you were all there to make sure that he didn't. Besides that though, I KNOW that YOU EDWARD, you are worth the risk. You are too important to me." I finished and saw Edward sigh stubbornly. No doubt still shouldering the guilt from the evening.

"Edward, come on, meet me in my room." I commanded before getting out of the truck and making my way into Charlie's house, pausing for a quick good-night before heading up to my room.

No sooner was the door closed behind me then I was being lifted off of my feet and thrown gently onto my bed, Edward's smile suspiciously playful. I didn't want to think about why his mood had suddenly lightened like that so I simply smiled back at him.

"Happy Birthday Bella." He laughed as I threw a pillow at him and he caught it chucking it back to me and hitting me on the side of my head.

"Come here Edward." I motioned to him with my index finger and his face became serious as he made his way to the bed.

"Since it is still my birthday… can I ask you for another gift?" I smiled mischievously at his confused expression.

"Kiss me handsome." I commanded, my voice suddenly husky and my hands shaky as I pulled his head down to meet mine.

From the start this kiss was more passionate than any of our other kisses, it took my breath away and when I pulled back after a minute his face lingered on mine, kissing my cheek, my jaw, down my neck.

"Edward." I murmured as I wound my hands in his hair pulling him down closer to me, he obliged my request lowering his body to the bed next to me so that I was laying flush beside him, his lips finding their way back to my own.

This time the kiss was both passionate and deep, his tongue gliding along my bottom lip and into my mouth, exploring, feeling, tasting. With a soft moan my left hand untangled itself from his hair and traveled down his neck and over his shoulder, down his side to the bottom of his shirt where it stopped and slowly made it's way underneath. My right hand followed suit and soon my hands were working in sync, pulling his sweater over his head, finding his chest and exploring every inch.

"Bella." He said panting and pulling back from my face a minute later. My hands were still exploring his body, the perfect contours of his chest.

"No. Don't you dare pull back from me now. I know who I'm with and I trust you. I won't let you hurt me." I lectured softly, my hands exploring lower, tracing the waistband of his jeans.

"You're right, you're right." He muttered shaking his head before lowering it back down to mine. I continued to play around his waistband, snaking my way all the way around before coming back to his front and quickly unsnapping the button and lowering his zipper. He moaned as I pushed his jeans down his hips and I groaned as he pulled back from me to slip them off completely, giggling in surprise at his lack of underwear.

"Edward…" I sighed as my hands pushed against his chest and he willingly complied, laying down on his back while I took in the sight of him, my hands again traveling all over his marble smooth body. When I looked back at his face his eyes were closed, his face showing both his pleasure and his discomfort at being in this position.

Very slowly my hands made their way towards his manhood, gripping it tightly in a rare moment of boldness. The hiss that escaped his mouth at the sudden contact nearly sent me over the edge myself and I could feel the wetness seeping between my legs.

"Bella," his voice was strained and I sat back for a minute, not letting go of his hardness. "Bella, you don't have to…" his voice trailed off as I moved my hand up and down his shaft slowly.

"Edward, I want to. I want to know you in every way, every inch of your body. And I want you to know me in the same way." I said as my hand rounded over his tip, spreading the icy liquid around and he let out a moan of pleasure. After a few more rounds with my hands it was my turn for him to take me by surprise as he flipped us over and I was suddenly laying on my back beside him, my dress ripped from my body and tossed to the floor.

"So perfect…" he murmured so low I wasn't sure if I was supposed to hear him. His hand traced my lips, down my throat, across my collarbone and over to my shoulder. His lips were back to mine as his hands began to finally explore my own skin, leaving a blazing trail of fire everywhere they touched. Teasingly he stroked down my sides, underneath the front of my bra, across the tops of the cups. Then as his tongue darted into my mouth my bra was suddenly gone and his fingers ghosted over the peaks of my breasts, teasing before cupping and pinching and stroking greedily.

When his mouth broke away from mine so that I could again breath it attached itself to my left nipple, sucking, teasing, lightly biting it. I let out a soft moan as his hands worked their way over my stomach, closer and closer to the heat that was radiating out of me. As his hands ripped my panties off I couldn't stifle my cry as his icy cold hand trailed up my slit, collecting juices and coming to rest on my sensitive button. Using just the smallest motion his finger gently flicked my nub as his mouth continued it's assault on my nipples. It sent me over the edge immediately, causing a gush of fluids to escape and his hands to continue, pressing harder against my nerve bundle, and before I knew it two icy fingers were pressed in between my folds, thrusting in and out of me.

It didn't take long before my walls were clenching around his fingers and I was coming again, calling out his name into the pillow I had smothered in front of my face.

"Edward please!" I begged as I came down slightly from my high. I needed him… all of him… now. I reached over, grabbing his hardness, again smearing the icy liquids from his tip all over his head.

He growled low and the sound sent shivers over my sensitive body. "Please Edward." I begged again as he shifted so that he was covering me, his body weight on his elbows, his cool head waiting at my entrance.

"Please!" I said desperately as I bucked my hips forward, pushing his head just slightly inside of me. At that he began to push into me. It was agonizingly slow and I watched his face… normally so controlled… appear wild and needy.

"This might hurt." He whispered stopping at my barrier. I nodded my head and he pushed through, a small squeak escaping my lips when I felt the tear.

"Are you alright Bella?" he asked as he waited for me to adjust, sitting perfectly still.

"It's alright Edward, I'm good." I smiled and pulled his lips back to mine as I moved my hips slightly and again he followed my lead, pulling all the way out of me and then gliding back in. I moved my legs up, wrapping them around his waist and groaned at the new depths he was reaching, the special spot that he touched with every thrust.

"Fuck Edward. Harder." I cried out quietly and felt him pull me closer to him, his speed picking up as I felt myself building towards another orgasm. I pulled him closer to me and felt his speed and strength pick up again, sending me over the edge.

"Edward! Yes!" I called out into his shoulder and I felt him shudder just before releasing into me, slamming against me harder than he had yet. I was already smiling from sheer pleasure at our first time, not knowing that with his final thrust we would both hear the loud crack.

The pain was searing and instant. I couldn't comprehend why it was hitting me there or what had caused it… just that it was ruining a perfect evening.

"Shit. Bella? Are you okay Bella?" I could hear his voice above me but I couldn't focus on anything but the stinging pain in my chest.

"Bella, tell me where it hurts Bella." He said and as my eyes focused on his face I gasped and pointed to my right side. His hands were there then, feeling around gently and I would have screamed in pain if it weren't for the difficulty that I was suddenly having breathing.

"Hold on Bella, I'm taking you to Carlisle." He said and I felt the air as he rushed away and back to my side in an instant, helping me into a cotton nightgown and some underwear. As he picked me up I noted that he had already gotten dressed and I focused on his face as he jumped from my window and began to run through the forest at his top speed.

"Edward what happened?" I could hear all of their voices, concerned as we entered the warm house but somewhere along the run I had blacked out, only my sense of hearing back now.

"I think she broke a rib and it punctured her lung." I heard Edward's voice, sounding strained as I was placed on a soft surface and I began to feel cold fingers feeling around the searing pain in my chest. "How did this happen son?" Carlisle's voice asked as I felt something cold and metal on my chest… a stethoscope… listening.

"I… I… We… I did it." Edward's voice was broken and again I felt Carlisle's cold hands working as something was placed over my mouth… oxygen.

The voices turned silent as Carlisle kept working and I felt even more pain before everything went quiet, my brain almost shutting down.

When my senses began to come back to me I noted that I must still be at the Cullen house. I was in a soft bed of some sort, the blankets tucked in tightly around me. I still had the oxygen mask covering my face and although breathing was easier there was still a light stabbing on the right side of my chest.

"Bella… are you awake sweetheart?" the soft voice asked and I blinked my eyes several times before I was able to focus on my surroundings. The heart shaped face smiled down at me and I watched as she reached over and brushed a hair from my forehead.

I glanced around the room and noticed that I had been placed on a bed in Edward's room. The room aside from the bed was the same as it had been at his party and I couldn't help but feel the absence of him while I laid in the bed.

"Where's Edward?" I asked quietly under the oxygen.

"Carlisle and the others forced him to go hunting. He hasn't been in a few days, he didn't want to leave your side, but I promised him that I would stay." She reassured me.

"What happened?" I breathed out and wasn't quite sure if Esme would hear me or not.

"You broke a rib sweetie, it punctured a hole in your right lung. Carlisle had to patch the hole and re-inflate your lung, you've been pretty out of it for a couple of days now.

"Crap." I groaned as the memories came flooding back to me.

"What is it Bella?" Esme asked worriedly, jumping up and inspecting me for anything that could be wrong physically.

"Only I could ruin our first time by breaking something and needing surgery right after." I said and noticed the pull of my right side as I forced oxygen into my lung. As I looked back towards Esme's face I stared in disbelief at the shock. I had thought for sure that Edward would have told them what happened.

"This happened… during sex?" Esme gasped and I brought my hand up to cover my face in embarrassment.

"Yes. I insisted that I trusted him and that we would be fine… that he wouldn't… that he wouldn't… that he wouldn't hurt me." I said and realized that he must be wallowing in guilt by now.

"That explains why he is being so hard on himself." Esme sighed and then took my hand in hers.

"Bella, you're awake. How are you feeling?" I heard a minute later from the doorway.

"I feel okay, a little sore when I take a deep breath, but overall not too bad." I answered honestly and Carlisle came forward, standing behind Esme.

"You'll probably be sore for a while. Having a broken rib puncture your lung isn't the most pleasant of injuries." He said and I wished that my signature blush hadn't spread across my cheeks.

"Is Edward back yet?" I asked him anxiously, wanting to speak to Edward in private about my injuries before he could beat himself up further.

"No, he went a little further North this time. He'll be back in the morning." Carlisle explained and I noticed the worried look in his eye. "You should try and get a little more sleep tonight." He smiled before quickly exiting the room.

It didn't take as long to fall asleep that night as I thought it would have, but my dreams were anything but restful. I dreamed about Edward, but in my dreams he was always leaving me, alone, in pain. It wasn't pain due to my injury but a deep pain in my heart, one that I knew wouldn't heal. In the middle of one of my dreams I found myself crouching down on the forest floor, talking to someone, finding that the hole in my chest was shrinking, feeling like I was no longer alone, like there was hope for me after all.

"Bella, I'm so sorry." Edward had been apologizing to me for the past three days while I recovered in his room.

"Edward, I told you. I'm not sorry." I huffed, crossing my arms across my chest defiantly.

"Bella, I'm not good for you. I think that we should end things now." He said and I suddenly noticed the way that he was standing at the far end of the bed, cold, his eyes refusing to look into my own.

"Edward…"

"No Bella, let me finish." He demanded and I knew, I knew that this was it nothing that I could say would change his mind now.

"I'm taking you home today Bella and I don't want you to come back. I can't be with you like this anymore, it's too dangerous for you and I won't allow you to continue to be hurt by my family… by me." The words hurt more than I could have ever imagined and suddenly I was gripping my chest in agony as the weight of what he was saying crushed me.

"Edward no, I choose you, I choose to be with you… to be with your family." I argued but it was no use, his mind was resolved. I tried unsuccessfully for the next hour to convince him that I was where I wanted to be and that I was already a part of the family. When I finally gave up I grabbed my clothes off the end of the bed and slowly made my way to the bathroom to get dressed.

"Fine. Take me home." I demanded and allowed him to help me downstairs and out to his Volvo. The drive was silent and stretched on for what seemed like hours, but minutes later I was exiting his vehicle and he was squealing away from my house.

_He just needs a break. _I thought to myself as I let myself into my house and made my way into the kitchen. I figured I would give him a few days to cool off and then talk to him again. He couldn't avoid me forever, after all – Alice was still my best friend.

The next day was the first day that I returned to school after my 'accident' and was disappointed in the sudden appearance of the sun, even more disappointed when it continued for three more days. On the fourth day I realized that he wasn't coming back and when I first detected his absence fell to my knees in agony, clutching the gaping hole that seemed to be getting bigger every day.

That was the day that I decided to go back to their house and after lunch I got in my truck and drove the familiar drive, stopping in front of their house.

"Edward? Alice?" I called, but something inside of me told me it was useless. Stumbling out of my truck I made my way over to the porch and up the steps, turning the door handle and feeling the first tear when I realized that it was locked. Digging around in my backpack I found the key that I had been given and had never before used. I let myself in and gasped in shock at the sight in front of me. The furniture had all been either removed or covered in dust cloths, complete with a layer of grey dust. I walked from room to room, knowing why but not understanding why they had left so suddenly, so completely. Coming back downstairs I stopped by the enormous dining room and that's when I saw it sitting on the table.

Slowly I made my way over to it and picked up the small white piece of stationary and flipped it over.

_Dear Bella,_

_I know that you will come looking for me and I am so sorry to leave you this way but there was no other choice. You would not have let me go any other way. I'm so sorry for all of the pain and hurt that getting to know us has caused for you over the last several months and I hope that you will forgive us. _

_I want to promise you though that I will not return to bother you again, I promise to let you live a normal, human life, without interference from any of us._

_Love Edward_

I cried a torrent of tears as I read and re-read the letter, hoping that each time it would say something else, but it didn't.

When I had no tears left to cry I made my way out of the house and back to my truck, not remembering the drive from the Cullen house back to Charlie's house. As I walked quietly inside I noted that I was not simply in pain from him leaving me, a part of me was actually missing, a part that would never return unless he did.

"Bells? You okay?" My dad asked about a week after I'd found the note at the Cullen house.

"Yeah, I guess… I think I have the flu, I'm just going to stay home today and take it easy. I don't need to catch an infection in my lung or anything." I said sleepily as I sat up and had to immediately run to the toilet as my entire stomach contents emptied from me.

"Alright. Call me if you need anything." Charlie said before heading out the door and leaving me alone in the house. I made my way back to my bedroom and collapsed on the bed in a heap, my frustration at being sick the icing on the cake. I spent the next several days locked in my bedroom in isolation only leaving to use the washroom and throw up the few things I managed to choke down. My body was tired and aching, I could feel myself getting dehydrated from being so sick. But the worst part was the pain in my chest. Not the pain from my injury but the pain of knowing that half of my heart was missing.

On the fifth morning I knew that something was wrong with me aside from the flu when I woke up to my throat feeling as though it were on fire, scorched, dry. I needed something to quench my thirst so badly that I ran to the bathroom, scooping handfuls of water into my mouth. But it did nothing to ease the burning.

Finally I collapsed to the floor in exhaustion and that's when I felt it for the first time.

"No way... it's not possible." I gasped as my hands flew to my stomach in surprise.

"Shit!" I cursed as I stood up and saw the evidence as plain as day in front of me. In my bout of 'illness' I hadn't been paying attention to my physical appearance and it hit me as I stood in front of the mirror, my shirt raised to just underneath my bra, my hand resting on the small but pronounced bump. I had lost a significant amount of weight from being so sick but my belly was hard and round, sticking out between my hips just slightly.

I stared at myself in the mirror for what felt like an eternity, trying to process everything that I was seeing. I kept my hand across my stomach and jumped in surprise as again I felt it move within me.

_No No No. This is impossible... too fast... three weeks. It's only been three weeks since Edward and I... and he's a vampire... he can't have children. _My thoughts were scattered and confused as I tried desperately to piece together what was happening. I was pregnant. It was so obvious, how could I not have known. But it should have also been impossible. And it's happening too fast... way too fast. When I was convinced that there was no other explanation I quickly made my way back to my room, throwing on the first pair of jeans and shirt that I could find. I stumbled down the stairs grabbing the keys for my truck and driving to the only place where I thought I might find answers.

As I made my way back up the porch of the grand house and let myself in again I was still momentarily shocked by the sheer emptiness inside the old house. After I recovered I headed directly to Carlisle's study, not stopping until I was facing the enormous wall of books that he had once told me housed his favorite vampire mythology books. I sat sprawled across his floor, books spread out around me for hours as I tried to find something... anything on human/vampire children. I was about to give up for the night and head back to Charlie's when I found a small chapter on human/vampire relations.

_It may be possible for some vampires who have practiced self control to allow themselves to be with a human in an intimate way. If the vampire is a male with a female and he does not kill her, it is extremely rare but may result in a pregnancy with a hybrid child. The human mother in all cases becomes a life force for the child and usually does not survive the length of the pregnancy as the child starves the mother of all nutrients, blood, and liquids. The length of the pregnancy varies between one and ten weeks in length and the resulting child is unpredictable based on the genetic makeup. The amniotic sac that houses the child is made of a non-penetrable material resembling a vampire's skin in nature and as a result the child is not born but will bite it's way out of the mother, killing her if she has survived until this point. _

I slammed the book closed, not wanting to read anymore, not sure if I wanted to know what I was carrying and how I was going to die. In spite of myself I picked the book up and brought it home with me, reading into the night various accounts of hybrid births.

By morning I was mentally and emotionally exhausted. There was no doubt in my mind that I loved my child and I would do everything in my power to protect him or her, but I didn't know how to do that if I were going to die. I also knew that I couldn't stay with Charlie any longer.

After he had left for the day I packed a small bag to take with me and left a note on the table saying that I was leaving for a while to figure things out on my own. I would call when I was ready. And I drove my truck down to the cliffs by the Quiluete Reservation, parking close to the edge and leaving a trail of footprints to the edge. As I slowly made my way back down the side of the road, hidden by trees I allowed myself to cry as I made my way back to the Cullen's house.

By the time I had arrived exhaustion had settled in and I trudged wearily up the stairs and towards the only room I felt somewhat comfortable sleeping in.

"Alice... if you can see this. I'm pregnant with Edward's child. Please come back. I'm so scared and I don't know what to do. Apparently the pregnancy is going to kill me and you know what I don't care. I get that I was never a part of your family, but this child is and he or she needs someone to take care of them after I'm gone." I said loudly as I climbed into her bed, groaning as I stretched out painfully. I moved my arm under the pillow to support my head and found a small object hidden beneath it. As I grabbed the small device my heart nearly leapt out of my chest with joy.

I flipped the display open and browsed through the contacts quickly realizing that these were different numbers then the ones that I had been given that were no longer working.

"Alice?" his soft velvety voice asked almost as soon as I had dialed the number.

"Edward it's me." I spoke softly unsure of how he would react to hearing my voice.

"Bella I told you not to contact me. Not to look for me." his voice was hard and cold.

"I know and I wasn't going to. I know that I'm not good enough for you Edward. I never have been but you need to come back. I can't explain it over the phone but this is something..."

"I'm not coming back Bella. None of us are." he snapped angrily and I tried desperately to hold back my sobs.

"But Edward I'm..."

"No Bella. Goodbye." the phone disconnected then and I sat with it to my ear staring dumbly ahead for a while before closing the phone and realizing that it was no use. He really never did care.

After Edward I didn't bother to try calling the rest of the family, I knew it would be no use. I was just an ordinary human after all. But I stayed in the Cullen's house for two more weeks, planning for my child, hoping that he or she would be able to survive.

My belly was huge now and my bags were packed and ready to go. I had invaded the large walk in safe in Carlisle's study and found several thick stacks of 100 dollar bills that I carefully counted and included in my bag along with the fake identification and credit cards that they had made in my name just after the incident with James. I had also used the cell phone to take daily pictures of my rapidly growing belly. Now I was just waiting. Hoping and praying that somehow I would survive the birth of my child and be able to take care of her... to carry out my plans to raise him or her.

"Alice. I wasn't going to call you after the last time that I talked to Edward but I couldn't resist any longer, I need my someone to talk to, I need my best friend. This is going to sound insane but I'm pregnant. Very pregnant. It's Edward's child. In five weeks I have gone from to conception to about to pop and I'm scared. I found a legend that says that I'm supposed to die... and I think I am. I can't get out of bed any longer and I'm so tired and sore. I think the baby also broke some more of my ribs but I'm not sure. If you get this please come back for the baby. I know I'm not important... I'm just a human... but the baby is Edward's and it needs someone to take care of it after I'm gone. Please Alice. Please come back." I begged into the small cell phone late that night. As I hung up the tears were beginning to fall again and I was too weak to do anything but lay there and cry.

Suddenly the pain rippled and pulled across my abdomen making me cry out in pain and I clutched my stomach, feeling it harden impossibly more beneath my hand as another contraction rippled across it.

"Shit this isn't right... the pain..." I breathed to myself feeling the pain again and I laid back in the bed and tried to breath steadily through it as I'd seen done on tv before.

"This is good. Come on baby." I panted between contractions, saying silent prayers of thanks that for once something abnormal about me was good.

It didn't take long before I felt the strange sensation that forced me to bear down and push and before I knew it I was breathless and pushing a second time... a third time. Soon there was a fire and I knew that this was it. Taking as deep of a breath as I could I pushed myself up painfully onto my elbows and pushed with all of my might feeling the relief wash out of me as I felt the foreign object slide smoothly out of me. Reaching down I quickly grabbed the small form and pulled it to my chest, wrapping the sheet around us both and thanking God that I was still alive that I had done it.

I took a few minutes to rest, looking into the precious eyes of the child I had been waiting for, a brilliant emerald green, her face a replica of her fathers.

"You are so beautiful... just like your daddy." I whispered as I placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. After a few minutes I felt the need to push again and was only slightly surprised when I felt the slimy afterbirth slide out and land on the bed between my legs. I knew then that it was time to act, even through my exhaustion I pushed forward, getting out of bed and tying a string tightly around the umbilical cord in two places, snipping it with a pair of nail scissors directly between the two ties.

I swaddled my daughter in a soft towel and set her gently on a cushion on the floor while I got to work cleaning up the bedding, throwing it into a trash bag and re-making the bed. I dressed the baby in one of the outfits I had had delivered to the Cullen's house the second day I had been there and placed her sound asleep into the car seat which had also been delivered. Carrying the infant seat I made my way into the bathroom and had a fast shower, cleaning up the evidence of my recent delivery and dressing in some comfortable clothes. As we made our way back into Alice's room I knew that it was almost time to leave but I had a few things left to do before I called the taxi to take me away.

I pulled the sleeping baby into my arms and sat in the leather chair, holding the cell phone in front of myself and snapping one final picture of me and my daughter. I quickly sent it out to all of the Cullen's numbers that were in the phone with a brief message.

Elizabeth Charlotte Cullen. Born October 20th, 2002. Mother: Isabella Swan. Father: Edward Cullen.

When I had hit send I made my way into Carlisle's study, baby in tow and placed the cell phone and the open mythology book in the safe with a note about how much money I had taken.

I made it back to Alice's room just as Elizabeth was waking up and she eyed me as though she was questioning something. Then her hand raised to my cheek and I jumped at the images she presented. Me just after she was born, the room from her perspective, a hungry feeling in her belly and a gentle burn in the back of her throat.

Sitting down again I lifted my shirt to her to reveal my breast and guided her mouth to it. She latched on and began to drink and I felt the relief wash through me as there was no pain and no sign that I was doing anything wrong. When she pulled away she lifted her hand back to my face and I felt how full her belly felt but that there was still a burning in her throat.

Before I could react her head was buried back into my chest and I felt a sharp sting as her tiny sharp teeth pierced my skin. I watched her for a minute as she drank from my body as though she were nursing but really I knew that she was feeding from my blood.

"Okay beautiful, that's enough for now." I said after another minute, not wanting her to take too much from me and leave me too weak to travel with her.

"We need to go now, we're going to go find a new home." I said with a smile as I pulled my shirt back into place and called for a taxi, heading downstairs with the baby and my small bag ready and waiting.

We didn't go far the first day, staying in a hotel when I got too tired to keep going. I fed Elizabeth the same way each time that she got hungry. First with my milk and then with my blood. She was growing quickly, even my weak human eyes could see that and I knew I needed to get to my destination quickly.

It was about a week later that we finally arrived at the small cottage in upstate New York. It was like the rest of the Cullen houses secluded and outside a small town but it was much smaller. After the first day I had bought a cheap used Volkswagen and driven myself the rest of the way, stopping in the small town for groceries before we arrived at our new home.

"We're here baby girl. This is our new home. I found all of the information in Grandpa's safe back in Forks and I know that it's okay if we stay here for a little while so that you can grow up and become a big girl. There are lots of animals that you can learn to hunt one day and I only have to go into town every couple of weeks for groceries. Everything else we can order online." I babbled to my daughter as I pulled her out of her infant seat and carried her on my hip towards the house. She was no longer the size of a newborn but an infant a few months old. Her understanding of things was instant and although she didn't speak to me, she would converse with me through her gift of touch.

I didn't know much about the cottage that we would be staying at, just that it was a small two bedroom cottage that Edward owned and would use once in a while when he needed to get away from the family. It was perfect for Elizabeth and I. As I turned the key and walked into the house I immediately loved how it resembled Edward exactly. Everything was decorated in deep browns, rich wood, and very simple but elegant design. I walked from room to room noting how it was fully furnished and sighed in relief. It didn't take long for me to unpack the car and we spent the evening sitting in the living room. Me reading to Elizabeth as she played with a set of silverware on the floor. Bending the pieces into funny shapes and laughing happily as she listened to me read to her.

"I love you so much Elizabeth." I told her as I picked her up, snuggling her against my chest as we headed into the bedroom and I began to get us ready for bed. When we were changed and I had crawled under the covers with my daughter tucked into my side she settled against my breast, taking it into her mouth and feeding from my milk before piercing my skin and drinking my blood.

**ALIVE'S POV**

"Alice, I know that you're hurting because you lost your best friend. Why don't you print out those pictures of you and Bella and we can hang them on the wall?" Jasper suggested soothingly rubbing circles on my back while I sobbed against him.

This had been a common occurrence since we had left Forks and my brother had ripped my best friend from my life. I missed her terribly and even though he told me not to look for her future I couldn't help looking. I also couldn't help the feelings of despair when I would look and not find anything.

I nodded my head at my husband before standing and heading towards our massive closet that had seemed so unappealing since we had moved to the house in New York.

"My old phone has all of those pictures on it, it's at the bottom of these shoes here." I said digging through the stack and finally finding the purple phone I hadn't used since we had left Forks.

I plugged the phone in the wall to charge, tapping my foot impatiently while it loaded up.

"Calm down darlin'" Jasper soothed picking me up and carrying me over to the large bed. He laid down beside me and held me as I let my emotions coarse through me. I was angry at Edward for taking us away from her, disappointed in myself for letting him, and mostly just sad because I didn't know what had happened to my sister... my friend.

I was finally calming down when a shrill beep alerted me to a text message followed by a much lower one that said I had a voicemail. Racing over and grabbing the phone I decided to check the voice mail first, putting it on speaker phone so that Jasper could hear more clearly from the bed on the other side of the room.

"_**Alice. I wasn't going to call you after the last time that I talked to Edward but I couldn't resist any longer, I need my someone to talk to, I need my best friend. This is going to sound insane but I'm pregnant. Very pregnant. It's Edward's child. In five weeks I have gone from to conception to about to pop and I'm scared. I found a legend that says that I'm supposed to die... and I think I am. I can't get out of bed any longer and I'm so tired and sore. I think the baby also broke some more of my ribs but I'm not sure. If you get this please come back for the baby. I know I'm not important... I'm just a human... but the baby is Edward's and it needs someone to take care of it after I'm gone. Please Alice. Please come back.**_

Within seconds the entire family was standing in my room staring at me in shock as I held the phone out, unsure of what to say. I hit the button to replay the message and made sure the phone was still on speaker while we listened again to her pleading on the other end.

"Is it possible?" Rosalie was the one who broke the silence and we all looked to Carlisle for confirmation.

"I... I read one myth in a book once, it's the only place I had ever heard of such a thing so I assumed it was just a myth." he said sounding unsure himself.

Looking back to my phone I gasped as I saw the text message that was waiting.

_**Elizabeth Charlotte Cullen. Born October 20th, 2002. Mother: Isabella Swan. Father: Edward Cullen. **_

Included with the message was a picture of Bella, she looked tired and thin, sickly. But in her arms was a tiny baby dressed in pink, sound asleep in her arms.

I tried to speak, to tell the others what the message said but I couldn't seem to form a coherent word, let alone sentence. I looked at Edward who looked as though he was going to pass out at any minute. Swiftly Jasper grabbed the phone from my hand and gasped, passing the phone to Carlisle who repeated his action and showed Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett before Edward grabbed the phone, seeing it for himself instead of only through us.

"We're going back to Forks. She was at the house last week when she sent this." Esme said quickly then and before I knew it we were all running through the woods, not bothering with vehicles, just needing to get back to Bella.

For a human driving from New York to Seattle it would have taken a few days but with the way we ran we were all approaching the river behind the house by early the next morning.

We all slowed down and walked forward together, Edward in the lead towards the house.

"I can't hear anything." he growled as we got closer. "I can't hear her mind of course but I can't hear the child's either. I can't hear any heartbeat's at all." At that we picked up our pace, going inside and each of us going separate directions, trying to find Bella or the baby.

"She's not here!" I growled as I heard Carlisle open up the safe in his office. Wondering what he was doing I headed towards the study and watched as Carlisle picked up a book from the floor. Sitting on top was another of my cell phone's... the one that Bella had used to call me and text me. The book seemed to be open to a specific page and Carlisle was reading a slip of paper from on top.

"Read it out loud Carlisle." Jasper said quietly and I noticed that the rest of the family was standing behind us, waiting.

_**Dear Edward (and Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper and Alice)**_

_**I'm not sure if you got my message so I thought I'd leave a letter here for when or if you ever come back. On October 20th I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl who I named Elizabeth Charlotte Cullen, Edward is her father and I hope that one day he will decide to see her, to get to know her. **_

_**I hope that it is okay that I used your house while I was pregnant and while I delivered her. We left the same day that she was born and I took one hundred and fifty thousand dollars from the safe to help us with getting started. Once I am settled I will pay it all back, but I knew I would need the money to keep us hidden and safe.**_

_**Nobody knows about Elizabeth, Charlie thinks I'm dead... that I jumped from the cliffs on the outskirts of La Push. **_

_**Edward, if you decide to come looking for Elizabeth I'm using the identification that you had made up after the incident with James. Isabella Masen. I'm not sure where we'll be or if I'll even be alive by the time you come looking for Elizabeth but know that I love you. I've always loved you.**_

_**Love Bella**_

Again the room was silent as we took in her words, all of us lost in our own thoughts until we heard the loud smack from the back of the room.

"How could you!" I turned around and stared in shock at the aftermath of Esme smacking Edward hard across his cheek.

"Esme... I'm so so sorry. I didn't know." he whispered shaking his head back and forth.

"You took us away from her at a time when she truly needed us. Edward you took my daughter from me, my grand daughter." she sobbed as Carlisle rushed to her side, letting her cry dryly against his chest.

"I'm so sorry everyone... I thought we would keep hurting her... that I would keep hurting her if we stayed. I was so wrong. I promise, we'll find her." Edward vowed and I immediately began searching, trying to find her future.

**BELLA'S POV**

We had been in New York for just over three months now. The days went by quickly as Elizabeth and I immersed ourselves in learning different things. We stayed in or close to the house and I set up services to deliver everything that we needed to us, even our Groceries. Elizabeth was no longer a small baby, instead resembling a small toddler around eighteen months old. Her diet now consisted of regular human food and twice a day she drank blood. Over the past several days I had been explaining to her about drinking from animals as soon as she was able to catch them herself and she listened eagerly as I retold stories that Emmett and Jasper had shared with me.

"Can I try soon Momma?" she asked as I finished a story I had heard about Emmett and a bear.

"Yes sweetie, I just want you to wait until you're a little bit older and a little bit stronger." I answered with a smile at her enthusiasm.

"But I'm fast Momma, and I'm strong too!" she said and demonstrated by pushing against a tree on the outskirt of the property and knocking it down, then running to the other side before my eyes could adjust.

"I know sweetie, I just, I need you to wait a little while okay?" I asked her and she nodded willingly and went back to playing on the ground at my feet.

"Look over there Momma!" she said excitedly a little while later and I glanced up from my book to see a large doe stumble into the outskirts of the yard.

"Can I try Momma? Please?" she begged me quietly standing up and crouching just like Edward before I could stop her.

"Go ahead, but stay in the yard." I warned her just before she took off faster than lightening, circling around the deer first before jumping and snapping it's neck, sinking her teeth through it's flesh and drinking from it as I'd seen her drink from me so many times.

"Bella Bella Bella." I heard my name and snapped my head around, staring in shock at the fire-red hair that stood behind me.

"What do we have here." I whipped back around and before I could move was gripped in an icy hold by Victoria as Laurent grabbed a hold of Elizabeth.

"Momma!" Elizabeth cried out fearfully as he pulled her into the house while Victoria held me outside, dragging me towards the forest.

"Don't worry sweetie, I'll be fine." I grunted as we moved further from my daughter.

"Don't hurt her Laurent... please... she's just a child." I begged and heard Victoria laugh cruelly before she threw me to the ground.

"You know Bella, I've been looking for you for a while now. Edward hid you well after you left Forks... this will be quite fun for him to watch when he returns home." she laughed again and I choked back a sob.

"Edward didn't hide me... we aren't together." I said through clenched teeth and I saw her laugh again.

"Don't try and lie to me Bella, I know he's been hiding you away from me... obviously he was hiding someone else too, who knew that vampires could father children? I certainly didn't. It will be even more fun torturing her while he watches." she continued laughing and I struggled in vain to get away from her and back to my daughter.

"No! Leave her alone! She has nothing to do with this! She's just a child!" I screamed as I tried to push her off of me just before she threw me back down again and I hit my head on a rock, losing consciousness.

**Edward's POV**

"Edward! NO!" Her shrill voice rang through my head and I snapped my attention to her mind. Her eyes were focused on something far away, something distant.

"Alice! Show me!" I growled at her and she instantly replayed the scene she had seen in her head.

"New York, she's at my cottage in New York." I breathed a sigh of relief before I caught the flash of red hair that had obviously started Alice's panic. Victoria was dragging Bella into the woods, Elizabeth was nowhere in sight. Victoria was threatening Bella, she was going to torture both her and Elizabeth in front of me, she was assuming that I was with her.

"We have to get back to New York now." We had been searching for Bella since we had returned to Forks three months prior but had turned up nothing until this vision. She hadn't used any credit cards, hadn't registered anything in her name. And now, now it was life and death for my family if we didn't get back there now.

"What is it Edward? What's going on?" Carlisle asked as I ran downstairs and headed towards the back door.

"Alice had a vision of Bella, she's at my cottage in New York, She's been there the whole time... but Victoria found her... she's got her in the woods, waiting for me." I spat the words and flew out the door, the family hot on my trails. We were at most a two hour run to New York from the last location we had trailed Bella to, which was in Southern Pennsylvania.

I heard her mind before I sensed her and I motioned for the family to stop. "She's just up ahead with Bella." I said quietly. "But I don't know where Elizabeth is... Emmett, Rose and Esme go around to the house and see if you can find her there. Everyone else with me, we need to get to Bella now. Jasper... you and I will approach her head on, Carlisle and Alice go around and get her from behind." I directed and everyone took off in their designated directions, Jasper and I approaching head on.

_When we get close enough I'll hit her with a dose of lethargy. Bella might pass out so get her out of there so we can get to Victoria. _

"Your dear mate is close... it sounds like someone is with him too." Victoria's voice was quiet but menacing as I watched her pick up a barely conscious Bella, holding her close to her own body, her teeth grazing the sensitive skin at her neck. As we burst through the clearing I braced myself against the effects of Jasper's lethargy and watched as both Victoria and Bella dropped to the ground. Putting all of my energy into running I caught Bella before her head hit and had her out of there before the first screeching sounds of Victoria being broken apart hit my ears. I watched through Jasper's eyes for a minute as they tore her quickly to pieces, setting a small fire and burning her before I switched to Emmett's mind. I was still running with Bella towards the cottage as I watched the scene take place.

"Ah! Cullens!" Laurent smiled at them as they walked through the front door. Laurent was holding the girl... my daughter in front of him and although she was the same girl she appeared much older. Maybe a year and a half old, but she spoke as though she were an adult.

"Aunt Rosalie! Uncle Emmett! Grandma Esme! I knew that you would come to help Momma and I." she squealed happily, recognizing everyone in the room with her.

Suddenly Elizabeth was spinning out of his grasp and jumping into Esme's waiting arms as Emmett and Rosalie descended on him, dragging him outside to where I had just arrived and ripping him to shreds... taking him back through the woods to join Victoria.

"Edward?" I looked down into my arms and realized that Bella had woken up and without thinking I pulled her to me, hugging her tightly.

"It's alright Bella, we got Victoria. You're safe... you're both safe." I said knowing what her eyes were frantically searching the yard for.

"Where is she? Where's Elizabeth?" she asked scrambling out of my arms and stumbling her way through the yard and into the house where Esme was sitting on the couch, the little girl snuggled on her lap.

"Momma!" she cried as soon as she sensed us in the room and she jumped down running into Bella's arms.

I left Bella and Elizabeth and continued further into the room where I sat beside Esme on the sofa, waiting for everyone else to join us.

When they had hugged and Bella had inspected Elizabeth for signs of injury she picked her up and carried her back into the living room where they sat in the leather chair across from us.

"Thank you Edward. I can't tell you how much I owe you for saving me from Victoria today... for saving Elizabeth." Bella said quietly and I knew that she must be wondering why we were even here.

"Bella... I'm so sorry." I said unsure of where to even begin and I watched as her eyes snapped up to mine.

"Momma? Is it okay if I go outside with Grandma Esme? I can hear everybody else and I really want to meet them while you and Daddy talk." Elizabeth's voice piped up as she hopped off of Bella's lap and grabbed Esme's hands pulling her up from her seat beside me.

"Of course, but stay with everybody in the yard." She said with a smile towards Esme.

"Of course Bella, we'll just be outside." Esme said with a smile that would have lit a thousand worlds before she picked up my daughter and carried her out the door.

"Before you say anything else Edward. I need to know why you all came here today. What are your intentions?" she said slightly coldly and I shrank back in my seat.

"Bella, when we left you in Forks... it was solely my idea. The family has been beyond angry at me ever since and quite frankly I don't blame them. It took a lot for me to force them to leave you alone in Forks and I accept full responsibility for it all." I began and watched her warily before continuing.

"Bella, I love you so much that it physically hurts to be away from you, but I thought that it would be better for you when I left. That I would stop being the cause of life-threatening injuries for you. It took every ounce of my self control to stay away and I regret every second that I stayed away from you." I saw her begin to cry and I took a deep breath before telling her the rest.

"The family moved to one of our houses not too far from you and I still can't believe that we were so close to you when you first moved here. Alice got your text with the picture about a week after you sent it."

"We got here exactly a week after I sent it." she murmured interrupting me.

"We didn't know you were here... so close so we went to Forks to look for you, thinking that you would still be at the house. We got your note, saw your journals, the pictures. We came looking for you right away but we couldn't find you. You didn't register anything under the new name, you didn't use the credit cards, nothing. I had Alice looking for you but she couldn't see anything until a couple of hours ago when she saw you with Victoria in the woods. She couldn't see Elizabeth at all and I think that's why she couldn't see you. You were always with her until today. We were in Pennsylvania looking into something we thought could lead us to you so we got here as fast as we could. Jasper knocked Victoria out with some lethargy that knocked you out. Him and Carlisle and Alice destroyed her while Rose, Emmett and Esme came here looking for Elizabeth." I said taking in another breath before getting to the point I wanted to make.

"The point though Bella is that I made a mistake when I left you, when I forced our family to leave you and I want you to know how sorry I am that we left. More than that we left you alone to deal with being pregnant and having Elizabeth. Bella, I want to prove to you that I deserve to be in your life... in Elizabeth's life. I don't want to ever leave you again... I can't leave you ever again." I finished and as I looked back up I was surprised to see Bella kneeling in front of me.

"Edward... I forgive you." she said simply, cupping my cheek with the palm of her hand.

"But how... I don't deserve..."

"Edward... I knew when you left that it was because I had been hurt, because you didn't trust yourself around me. Especially after, well after the night of my birthday. But I also knew how I felt without you near me and I knew that if it felt like that for me that it would feel like that for you. And I knew that when you saw my note or my text or the picture of Elizabeth that there was no way that you would stay away from your daughter. It may have been selfish but I knew that if you did come back and really didn't feel the same way about me that I would still get you in my life." she said with her head hung down.

Gently I lifted her chin so that I could see her eyes and I knew without a doubt. She loved me. Even after I left her, she still loved me. I couldn't resist her once the realization hit me and I leaned my head down to hers closing the gap between us and kissing her softly but passionately.

"God Bella. I love you so much." I sighed as we pulled apart and I lifted her onto my lap.

"I know Bella that we have a ton of things to talk about but I was hoping that now we could go outside and you could introduce me to our daughter." I said as I heard her giggle carry across the yard outside and my dead heart began to beat again.

"Of course. Let's go." she said standing up and taking my hand in hers.

As we walked quietly out the door of the cottage hand in hand we paused and just watched the scene in front of us for a minute. Elizabeth was running between Jasper and Emmett trying to get them to catch her... Rosalie, Alice, and Esme were all sitting off to the side watching with the most serene expressions I had ever seen on their faces. Carlisle was standing behind the girls and his thoughts were the loudest. The pride for Elizabeth... for Bella... for me... the wonder at the beautiful little girl running between the two strongest vampires that I knew. The questions that he had about her mirrored most of my own.

"Momma!" Elizabeth stopped suddenly and changed direction, charging into Bella with the perfect amount of force for her to scoop up the little girl.

"Hey sweet girl!" Bella smiled widely kissing her cheek before she brushed a bronze ringlet off her face and turned to me.

"I know that you know who this is, but Edward... your Daddy... really wants to meet you." Bella said looking at me and I smiled softly at the two girls at my side.

"Hello Elizabeth. I'm... well, I'm your Daddy." I said unsure of what exactly to say to the intelligent toddler in her mother's arms.

"Come on! Come see my room! Momma helped me make it pink and pretty just for me!" she said excitedly jumping out of Bella's arms and landing perfectly on her feet. She reached up and grabbed my hand pulling me back into the house towards the second bedroom. I smiled as I saw the beautifully decorated room in front of me, painted pink with deep purple butterfly accents. There was a white twin bed with matching white dresser and her closet seemed to be full of different dresses.

"Momma always said that you would come for me but she never knew when. She thought it would take longer, but I'm glad that it didn't. She showed me pictures she found when we first got here and she told me lots of stories about everybody." I couldn't believe the way that this tiny person was speaking and telling me about the last few months as though she was the adult.

"I'm sorry that I took as long as I did to get here Elizabeth, but I promise, I'm not going to leave you and your Momma alone again. Not ever." I told her as she climbed up on the bed next to where I was sitting and I couldn't help but notice how much she looked like me.

All of her features were small replicas of mine, her hair hung in bronze ringlets down her back, her eyes the same emerald green colour that mine had been as a human. I could smell her blood but unlike Bella's, nothing about it appealed to me at all. Her tiny heart was racing at a pace almost twice a normal humans and as the sun hit her skin through the window she lightly glowed, nothing that a human would really notice, but we did. A slight glimmer reflecting off her porcelain skin.

"I know that Daddy. Hey... maybe you could take me hunting before bed. Momma's been telling me all about it and today I caught my first deer... it was in the yard but I did it all by myself and now if someone takes me and I'm safe I don't have to drink from Momma any more." she spoke excitedly and at first I was surprised about her talk of hunting before I realized that of course she needed blood, she was half vampire. The only part that concerned me was that she had spoken about drinking from Bella herself.

"Bella, Carlisle." I called just loudly enough that Bella would hear me.

"Elizabeth, I'm going to talk to Momma and Grandpa about taking you out tonight, why don't you go see Aunt Alice and Aunt Rosalie. They want to show you some clothes that they are ordering for you." I told my daughter and she climbed on my lap to give me a quick hug before she was out the door at vampire speed.

"Is something wrong Edward?" Bella asked as she and Carlisle entered the room a minute later.

"No, nothing is wrong. I was just curious about something." I answered and saw Bella become suddenly nervous.

_What is it Edward?_ Carlisle asked worriedly.

"Bella, what does Elizabeth eat?" I asked not really sure how to phrase it.

_Good question, I hadn't even thought of that one._

"When Elizabeth was first born I wasn't sure myself but I don't know if she showed you yet, but she's very gifted. She has a way that she was able to show me and let me feel both hunger and her burning thirst. I was able to take care of her hunger by nursing her for the first several weeks. After her first feeding she showed me that she was still thirsty and before I could even think of a solution she bit my breast and began drinking from me. I stopped her after about two minutes and she was fine. It was enough to quench her thirst but not enough to hurt me. We continued this way until last month, she would nurse and then bite the same spot, drinking. Recently she has been able to go longer periods and now she eats at regular intervals with me and drinks twice a day. Usually in the morning and at night, from my wrist now instead of my breast. She knows exactly how much she can take and understands that it is only temporary until I could somehow teach her to hunt. She actually caught a deer that had wandered into our yard this morning and fed on it by herself." Bella explained and I could hear Carlisle's wonder at Bella and Elizabeth's survival thus far.

"She asked me if I could take her out hunting tonight. She was so excited that she had caught that deer earlier today and asked if I would teach her to hunt by herself." I said to Bella and heard Carlisle's warning to me.

"She's so small... it's hard to believe that she's only three months old. She looks like an 18 month old and she talks like she's been alive as long as you Edward. She's strong and fast and determined and she worries that she's hurting me when she takes my blood. I was hoping that you would be able to be the one to teach her to hunt eventually and today is as good a day as any. As long as you stay right with her and don't let her hunt anything that could attack her... deer... elk... no bears or mountain lions." Bella said and I smiled in relief that she would let me teach our daughter this so soon.

"She's usually passed out by about 8pm so if you could have her back in time for her to get cleaned up and go to sleep it's fine." Bella said and I thanked her with a light hug before we all turned and returned to the living room where Elizabeth was seated on Esme's lap eating dinner.

When she had finished eating she jumped up and grabbed my hand in her tiny one, dragging me out the door and towards the forest. She surprised me in many ways on our first hunting trip, she rivaled me in speed already and I guessed that as she developed she might actually surpass myself. She took down a deer with ease and it went against my instincts to let her attack and drain it before I realized just how strong she actually was. On the walk back to the cottage she spoke as though I had never been absent from her life and I was already head over heels in love with her.

**Bella's POV**

I was both relieved and sad when Edward and Elizabeth returned from their first hunting trip. I knew that Elizabeth was strong and capable, and I also knew that Edward wouldn't let anything happen to her but as her mother I couldn't help but worry. The sadness was because in a way she was no longer dependent on me in that way. Once she was dressed for bed I tucked her in and began humming my lullaby like I had done every night. When her breathing had evened out I kissed her again on her forehead and returned to the living room where the family was waiting.

I pulled a chair from the kitchen and sat down where everyone seemed to be waiting for me to start the conversation.

"Look, I'm not angry at you all for leaving. I understand why you left... although it does bother me how you left... I get why." I started and saw every face in the room soften slightly.

"Bella, our entire family made an enormous mistake the day we left you in Forks. We were so afraid of hurting you and then when we saw how easy it really was to hurt you when you punctured your lung. Well we all thought that maybe Edward was right and it was better that you try to forget us. However as soon as we arrived in New York at the new house we felt your absence. You were already so much a part of our family that it hurt us all to be away from you. I think I speak for everyone when I tell you that we want you to re-join our family, we don't want you and Elizabeth to be separated from us any longer." Carlisle spoke as both the head of the family and the father who was disappointed in his own actions.

"Like I said, I have already forgiven you all and I have no intention of trying to push you away or keep you from Elizabeth. Edward and I obviously have some things that we need to talk about and deal with, and for right now I would like to stay at the cottage while that happens. But you are all more than welcome to visit, or stay and to be honest I would love it if someone could take Elizabeth hunting every day." I answered with a smile.

"In all my years Bella, I've never heard of even the possibility of vampire hybrid children. Would you mind telling us a little bit about her?" Carlisle asked after we had established that they would stay at the larger house, visiting us regularly until I felt comfortable to move in with them.

"The pregnancy was pretty horrible but as soon as I put the pieces together I knew that she was a part of me and there was nothing that I wouldn't do for her." I began and saw their eyes light up with curiosity.

"What do you mean by horrible Bella?" Esme asked quietly.

"Well after you all left it was 11 days before the first time I got really sick. I was throwing up constantly, I couldn't eat or drink anything and my throat was slightly burning. I had no energy and just wanted to sleep all day every day. I thought at first it was the flu but after five days I knew that something else was wrong. I was in the bathroom when I figured it out for the first time when I felt her move. I had been so sick the previous few days that I hadn't even noticed the small bump that I already had once I put the pieces together. I was beyond shocked at first but once reality set in I knew that I wouldn't be able to stay with Charlie much longer." I said taking a deep breath. Having to fake my death to Charlie wasn't something that I was pleased with.

"I went to your house then and began researching in Carlisle's study, going through book after book, trying to find something... anything. I eventually found the book that I left open for you which pretty much terrified me. I didn't want to have Elizabeth and have no one to take care of her if I didn't survive the pregnancy. I knew that I couldn't go home so I drove my truck to the cliffs just outside of La Push and created a trail leading to the edge, I left a suicide note in the truck and I know that they assumed I had jumped and they never found my body. There was a memorial service and I still hate myself for having to do that to Charlie and Renee. I walked back to your house and I did have to hide inside the safe at one point when the police came to make sure I wasn't hiding out there. I stayed in Alice's room... it was the only room I felt comfortable sleeping in, and I began to plan for the chance that I would survive it. I was pretty determined. That was the day I found the phone under Alice's pillow and I called Edward to try and tell him." I paused again and looked at Edward who looked back at me guiltily.

"I'm so sorry Bella. I was such an idiot for not listening to you that day." he said and everybody looked somewhat surprised.

"It didn't take long for me to get really really sick. I was skin and bones... I'm not sure if you saw the pictures on the cell phone... she was so strong she kicked hard and my stomach was black and blue and covered in bruises. I was starving and dehydrated and I'm pretty sure she broke at least two or three of my ribs from kicking me. October 20th came and I knew that it wasn't going to be much longer. My stomach was huge and I could feel my heart beating erratically, I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold out for. That was when I called Alice's other number that was listed in the phone and left the message. Just after that call I felt the first contraction and I can't tell you how relieved I was that it was contractions and not her trying to bite her way out. Labor was fast but painful and she came the normal human way. I remember pulling her up to my chest right after she was born and not believing how much she looked like Edward... she still does look exactly like him. We rested for a little while before I delivered the afterbirth and tied off the umbilical cord, cutting it and then getting up and cleaning up my mess. I threw the sheets and everything in the trash... sorry about that... I dressed Elizabeth and put her in the infant seat that I had ordered online and went to have a shower and clean myself up. I fed her and sent you all the text message with the picture of her and then I called a taxi and we left. It took us about a week to get here... I didn't know where else to go. And we've been here ever since." I finished up the story of her birth and waited for them to ask their questions.

"Bella you are the most amazing person I've ever met." Rosalie's comment shocked me and I turned to her with a smile.

"I admit I have no idea what I'm doing. I never saw myself as a mother before I had her but now I would do anything for her. It helps that she is gifted because she's always been able to tell me what she needs. And of course she has a photographic memory so I tell her something once and she remembers it all. She was only two weeks old when she told me she hated wearing diapers and ever since then I carried her to the toilet or when she began walking she began using it herself." I laughed at the memory.

"What do you mean when you say she's gifted? She was able to tell you things at that age?" Alice asked in wonder.

"She is gifted in that she can show you things through her touch. She can show you her thoughts and memories or what she wants, even what she feels. She has been doing it since the day she was born when she was hungry and showed me both her hunger and the burning in her throat that told me she was thirsty. She was able to speak after a month but didn't start speaking regularly until a couple of weeks ago. I'm surprised she hasn't shown you her gift on her own yet." I mused as I explained it to them.

"I also can't read her mind. She's like Bella that way." Edward commented and I smiled, glad that she would have some privacy.

"The only thing that concerns me is her rate of growth." I said suddenly serious. "I don't know when or if it will stop and I haven't been very successful at finding out. Her growth seems to be slowing down, but it's hard for me to tell as it is still extremely fast." I said playing with my hands nervously.

"That's something that we can look into Bella, if it's alright I'd like to start taking measurements daily and see if it is slowing and by how much. I have some people I can contact to see if they have ever heard of this before." Carlisle assured me and I felt a little bit better.

"I would appreciate it if you could be discreet when asking, I know that she's already different and in the middle of two different species. I just don't want her to become somebody's experiment." I explained as best as I could.

"Bella, Rosalie is right. You are absolutely amazing for doing this and doing it better than any body else would have been able to. You have also given our family the greatest gift that we never ever thought was possible." Jasper spoke and surprised me again slightly.

"Thanks everyone. Thank you for coming back, for wanting to be in her... in our lives." I said blushing.

"It's getting late Bella, why don't we head out and let you get your rest." Esme said and they all began standing.

I hugged every one of them and they assured me that they would be back the next day before they all took off with the exception of Edward.

"Would it be alright Bella if I stayed the night?" he asked turning to look at me. "I promise to keep my distance, I'll stay in the living room, I just can't stand the thought of being apart from you any longer." he said and I nodded.

"That's fine. I don't mind, but I would appreciate it if you would stay in the living room and out of the bedrooms." I said and gave him a reassuring hug before heading to my bedroom for the night.

For the first time since they had left me in Forks I didn't have nightmares as I slept.

The next morning I was surprised when I woke up and found that I had slept in much later than normal. I jumped out of bed and threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before leaving my room and stopping short in the doorway.

Sitting on the couch with his back to me was Edward with Elizabeth on his lap. He had a comb in his hand and was ever so gently combing through her tangled curls as she told him about her favorite things. I stood watching them for a while with a small smile on my face before stepping further into the room and sitting across from them.

"Good morning Momma! How was your sleep? Since Daddy was here we thought that you should sleep later today and rest." Elizabeth was her usual bubbly self and I couldn't control the smile that lit up my face.

Edward looked up at me then and instantly I knew. It would take time and it would take learning and patience but we would be okay. In the end, Edward learned and he wasn't going anywhere.

"Forever?" I asked him quietly.

"Forever." he answered.

**A/N: So what do you think? This was a short one/shot that I wrote a long long time ago and I came across this morning. Figured that I would put it up in case anyone was interested. I also just want to note that some of the medical info in here I know is not quite accurate so I used my artistic license... this story was never intended to be shared so just go with it :) Enjoy!**

*** Don't forget, if you like my stories/writing you can also find me on Facebook. Add me as a friend to get updates on my current and future story ideas, twilight and fanfic discussions, etc... . .16  
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